This is the true story of scientific child prodigy, and former baby genius, Ainan Celeste Cawley, written by his father. It is the true story, too, of his gifted brothers and of all the Cawley family.
I write also of child prodigy and genius in general: what it is, and how it is so often neglected in the modern world. As a society, we so often fail those we should most hope to see succeed: our gifted children and the gifted adults they become.
Site Copyright: Valentine Cawley, 2006 +

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Tiarnan's uncanny book choice.

The other day, Tiarnan, three, was in the library. Now, unusually, perhaps, he concerned himself not with a book for himself, but a book for Daddy.

He wandered about the shelves, with his observant eye scanning the options on display. Suddenly, he pointed at a particular book and got his mother to get it for him.

"This is for Daddy.", he announced, clutching the book.

Can you guess what Tiarnan had selected out of all the books in the library, for his Daddy to read?

Have a good think about what he might choose.

Well, he selected: "The 100 most influential scientists", by Britannica, with an introduction by John Gribbin. I thought it was a most uncanny choice. It was weird because it is a close match to my interests...yet how on Earth could he have known? I have never read a book like it, in his presence, since he was born. Yet, he managed to choose something I would genuinely be interested in, out of all the books in the library.

On the cover is an image of Albert Einstein, staring mysteriously into the camera. I thought, maybe, he connected that face to Daddy's interests...yet the photo is on the front, not on the spine which would have been facing outwards.

Anyway, for whatever reason he chose it, and by whatever intuition he was guided to make the choice, I was touched in two ways: firstly, that he thought to choose a book for me at all - and secondly, that he ended up making such an appropriate choice.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.

IMDB is the Internet Movie Database for film and tv professionals.If you would like to look at my IMDb listing for which another fifteen credits are to be uploaded, (which will probably take several months before they are accepted) please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3438598/ As I write, the listing is new and brief - however, by the time you read this it might have a dozen or a score of credits...so please do take a look. My son, Ainan Celeste Cawley, also has an IMDb listing. His is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3305973/ My wife, Syahidah Osman Cawley, has a listing as well. Hers is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Use Only with Permission. Thank you.)

This is the true story of scientific child prodigy, and former baby genius, Ainan Celeste Cawley, written by his father. It is the true story, too, of his gifted brothers and of all the Cawley family.
I write also of child prodigy and genius in general: what it is, and how it is so often neglected in the modern world. As a society, we so often fail those we should most hope to see succeed: our gifted children and the gifted adults they become.
Site Copyright: Valentine Cawley, 2006 +

About Me

As a child, I had many gifts...perhaps too many - and this leads to the characteristic problem many gifted children face: what to do, when there is so much you COULD do. I resolved the issue by doing each of them serially throughout my life. I had gifts in science, writing, art, music, acting and academia...and so my life has demonstrated each of these, at some time. However, in the modern world, those who specialize, and focus all their efforts on one thing, tend to win through. In the light of this I have written two books, which are being prepared for publication.
I was a child in a time when being gifted was not something people spoke about: it was not a widely recognized situation - at least not in my background. Nothing special was done therefore, to help. It is my wish that all in that position, these days, receive the support that is needed, to become the best they can be.
I have been an actor, a writer of two books, a government physicist, at age 17, the founding editor of an Arts magazine, at 22, and a performance artist whose work was covered by CNN (interviewer: Richard Blystone) and Reuters. However, my greatest achievement is to have fathered three sons.